In recent decades, emergency management has undergone a radical transformation, driven by the integration of advanced technologies. Among these, the Internet of Things (IoT) stands out as a key enabler, offering significant added value to disaster response and resilience operations. By providing real-time data, improving response times, and enhancing predictive capabilities, IoT has revolutionized traditional approaches to emergency management and redefined how infrastructure withstands and recovers from modern challenges.
IoT and the Evolution of Emergency Management
IoT represents an interconnected network of devices and sensors that collect, analyze, and share data, enabling a continuous flow of information across critical systems. In the context of emergencies, this technology plays a pivotal role by:
Early Threat Detection:
IoT sensors deployed on critical infrastructure, such as bridges, dams, and buildings, monitor parameters like vibrations, pressure, and temperature. These data help identify structural or natural risks before they escalate into emergencies.
Real-Time Response:
During crises like earthquakes or floods, IoT devices provide emergency teams with real-time information about the status of infrastructure and affected populations. This enables faster and more accurate decision-making, often saving lives.
Resource Optimization:
By integrating IoT with data analytics, emergency managers can prioritize resources more efficiently, ensuring aid reaches the areas most in need promptly.
Prediction and Preparedness:
IoT’s predictive capabilities are a significant advantage. By analyzing historical patterns and real-time data, IoT platforms can anticipate events such as landslides, wildfires, or storms, enabling authorities to implement effective preventive measures.
Resilient Infrastructure Through IoT
IoT not only enhances response capabilities but also redefines how infrastructure is designed and managed to withstand disasters. The resilience of critical infrastructure is essential to maintaining service continuity during and after emergencies. Key applications include:
Monitoring Critical Infrastructure: IoT sensors installed on bridges, tunnels, and public transport systems detect cracks, seismic movements, and adverse conditions in real time.
Smart Water and Energy Systems: Utility networks benefit from smart meters that identify leaks, outages, or flow disruptions, enabling faster recovery after a disaster.
Smart Cities: IoT integrates urban systems, such as traffic lights, transport, and power grids, to ensure a coordinated response during emergencies.
IoT and Predictive Management: A Future-Oriented Approach
IoT’s potential for predicting disasters and mitigating their impact is one of its most promising aspects. Advanced algorithms based on artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning work with IoT data to uncover hidden patterns in vast datasets. This allows for more accurate disaster forecasting and the generation of early warnings that save lives.
A notable example of this synergy between IoT and predictive analytics is the use of technological platforms to monitor geotechnical risks, which affect both infrastructure safety and population welfare.
DAARWIN : IoT-Driven Innovation
A paradigmatic example of IoT applications in risk and emergency management is DAARWIN, a platform developed by SAALG Geomechanics. This solution combines IoT technology and advanced geotechnical analysis to offer precise insights into the behavior of infrastructure under extreme conditions.
DAARWIN enables real-time data collection and analysis from sensors, providing engineers and emergency responders with a powerful tool to anticipate structural failures and optimize decision-making. This technology is particularly valuable in construction projects and operations in high-risk geological areas, where safety relies on constant monitoring and swift reactions to unexpected changes.
Implementing solutions like DAARWIN not only strengthens infrastructure resilience against disasters but also sets a benchmark for leveraging IoT technologies to ensure public safety and sustainability.
